Schaeffler and Qorix form strategic partnership for software-defined vehicles and machines
Schaeffler and Qorix have teamed up to jointly develop, integrate and market software-based platform solutions for future vehicle architectures and intelligent machines.
- 2026-10-12
- ISO 26262
What Happened
Schaeffler and Qorix have signed a strategic partnership to jointly develop, integrate and market software-based platform solutions for future vehicle architectures and intelligent machines. Together, the companies want to advance integrated hardware and software solutions for central vehicle computers and software-defined architectures. The cooperation combines Schaeffler's deep expertise in system integration and in safety-critical driving and comfort functions with Qorix's series-ready middleware technologies, their integration into central computer platforms, and Qorix's active engagement in the open source Eclipse S-CORE ecosystem.
- Hardware platforms, cross-domain controller solutions, long-standing experience in system integration, and expertise in safety-critical driving and comfort functions
- Series-ready middleware, Qorix Performance for deterministic communication, management across the entire product lifecycle, functional safety in line with ISO 26262, and active engagement in Eclipse S-CORE
- Jointly develop, integrate and market software-based platform solutions for future vehicle architectures and intelligent machines
- Advance integrated hardware and software solutions for central vehicle computers and software-defined architectures
- Reduce development times and integration effort, and bring new scalable solutions to series production faster
- Start with the automotive industry, then extend the cooperation to robotics and industrial automation
- Use Eclipse S-CORE as the shared foundation for faster-developed and reusable vehicle software
- Deploy first joint solutions in customer projects
“With our platform and integration expertise, Schaeffler creates the basis for central software-defined vehicle architectures. Qorix complements this foundation with series-ready middleware and a strong open source approach, so that we can bring scalable solutions to market faster and more efficiently.”
The shift from distributed control unit architectures to central high-performance computer platforms is confronting the automotive industry with new requirements. Reliable middleware and software platforms that are standardized, scalable, safe and ready for series production are decisive. Schaeffler contributes hardware platforms, cross-domain controller solutions and long-standing system integration experience, while Qorix adds Qorix Performance for deterministic communication, end-to-end management over the entire product lifecycle, and functional safety in line with ISO 26262. Together, the partners reduce integration effort, shorten development times and accelerate the industrialization of software-defined vehicle architectures.
Both companies are involved in the Eclipse S-CORE open source project, a software framework for software-defined vehicles. This shared commitment forms the basis for faster and more coherent development, lower integration effort, and the reuse of software across vehicle generations and customer programs. The partnership deliberately goes beyond classic automotive applications: Schaeffler's strategic direction toward robotics and industrial automation meets Qorix's scalable platform strategy, and in perspective both companies want to transfer their expertise to applications in robotics and industrial automation and support software-defined system architectures there. First joint solutions are to be used in customer projects and are intended to further accelerate the introduction of software-defined architectures.
“With Schaeffler as a strategic partner, we are accelerating exactly what drives us: bringing series-ready, open-source-based software platforms to market faster. Qorix Performance in combination with Schaeffler's system integration and compute expertise creates a compelling offering for automakers and Tier-1 suppliers that want to actively shape the shift to software-defined architectures.”
Previously from Schaeffler Group
Schaeffler has been widening its strategic cooperation beyond automotive in recent months. At InnoTrans 2026 in Berlin, it signed an agreement with Alstom to expand their Alstom Alliance cooperation to more rail vehicle types, covering regional trains, commuter trains, trams and metros, and to scale up local bearing remanufacturing backed by regional bearing reconditioning centres.
- Schaeffler and Alstom deepen strategic partnership within the Alstom Alliance
- Schaeffler and Alstom widen rail partnership under Alstom Alliance
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Schaeffler Group's official releases.
Why this matters
As vehicles shift from distributed control units to central high-performance computers, automakers and Tier-1 suppliers need middleware that is standardized, scalable, safe and ready for series production. The partnership aims to cut development times and integration effort, starting in the automotive industry and later extending to robotics and industrial automation.
Terms in This Story
- Middleware
- A software layer that sits between a system's underlying platform and its applications, letting different software components communicate with each other.
- Software-defined vehicle
- A vehicle whose functions and features are largely controlled by software that can be developed, updated and reused, rather than by fixed hardware alone.
- Eclipse S-CORE
- An open source software framework project for software-defined vehicles.
- ISO 26262
- An international standard covering functional safety of electrical and electronic systems in road vehicles.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.